Wireless communication device, electronic timepiece and wireless communication method

ABSTRACT

A wireless communication device includes a wireless communication unit, a storage unit and a processor. The wireless communication unit performs near field communication with another wireless communication device. The storage unit stores an other-device address which is identification information of said another wireless communication device and which is acquired through the wireless communication unit. The processor updates an own-device address which is identification information of the wireless communication device, when receiving an instruction for excluding the other-device address from a connection destination of the near field communication.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromthe prior Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2015-183892, filed on Sep.17, 2015, and 2016-103253, filed on May 24, 2016 and the entire contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wireless communication device, anelectronic timepiece and a wireless communication method.

Description of the Related Art

Recently, wireless communication devices for performing wirelesscommunication based on Bluetooth (a trademark) which is a standard fornear field communication have spread.

For example, JP-A-2008-005060 discloses an image datatransmission/reception system for performing transmission and receptionof image data by near field communication. In this system, a device fortransmitting and receiving image data identifies a device which is atransmission source or a transmission destination based on device IDsassigned to devices, respectively. As an ID for a device, a uniqueserial number (a Bluetooth device address) assigned to the device duringmanufacturing of the device can be used.

This near field communication is used even between a wirelesscommunication terminal such as a smart phone and an electronictimepiece. Even in this case, a Bluetooth device address (hereinafter,referred to as a “device address” can be used as a device ID. The deviceID of the electronic timepiece is generated by encoding a unique serialnumber assigned to the device during manufacturing of the device.

In this case, a current wireless communication device such as a smartphone or an electronic timepiece performs mutual authentication with awireless communication device which is first connected thereto. In acase where mutual authentication succeeds, the wireless communicationdevice stores the device ID of the connected wireless communicationdevice in its own storage unit. The process of registering informationon a wireless communication device in a case where the wirelesscommunication device is connected in the above described manner isreferred to as pairing. Thereafter, when the wireless communicationdevice is connected with a paired wireless communication device,connection is established without processing such as mutualauthentication.

As described above, the device address of a wireless communicationdevice for performing near field communication is generated duringmanufacturing of the device. Thereafter, the device address cannot bechanged or updated by a user's operation or the like.

Some of wireless communication devices for performing near fieldcommunication can be paired with only one wireless communication device.As an example of such devices, there is an electronic timepiece pairablewith only smart phone.

In a case of connecting such a wireless communication device to anon-paired different wireless communication device, unless performing anoperation for breaking an existing pairing, a user cannot perform anoperation on any other wireless communication device. The operation forbreaking the pairing is an operation for deleting information deviceaddresses stored in the storage units of the paired wirelesscommunication devices.

For example, in a case where a wireless communication device is anelectronic timepiece pairable only with one smart phone, in order to anexisting pairing, three deleting operations are required. The firstdeleting operation is an operation for deleting information on thepaired smart phone, such as the device address, from the storage unit ofthe electronic timepiece. The second deleting operation is an operationfor deleting information on the electronic timepiece, such as the deviceaddress, from the operating system (OS) of the paired smart phone. Thethird deleting operation is an operation of deleting information on theelectronic timepiece, such as the device address, from the applicationsoftware of the paired smart phone.

Also, even in a case where the electronic timepiece pairable with onlyone smart phone needs to redo pairing due to a problem attributable toupdating of the OS of the smart phone, in order to break the existingpairing, the three deleting operations are required.

As described above, in the configuration of a wireless communicationdevice for performing near field communication according to the relatedart, in order to break a pairing, operations for deleting informationsuch as device addresses are required. Therefore, convenience for usersdeteriorates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was made in view of the above describedcircumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide acommunication device and the like for simplifying an operation forbreaking a pairing, thereby improving convenience for users.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a wirelesscommunication device includes a wireless communication unit, a storageunit and a processor. The wireless communication unit performs nearfield communication with another wireless communication device. Thestorage unit stores an other-device address which is identificationinformation of said another wireless communication device and which isacquired through the wireless communication unit. The processor updatesan own-device address which is identification information of thewireless communication device, when receiving an instruction forexcluding the other-device address from a connection destination of thenear field communication.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a wirelesscommunication method between one wireless communication device andanother wireless communication device, comprising: storing another-device address which is identification information of said anotherwireless communication device acquired by near field communication; andupdating an own-device address which is identification information ofthe wireless communication device, when receiving an instruction forexcluding the other-device address stored in the storing step, from aconnection destination of the near field communication.

According to further another aspect of the present invention, a wirelesscommunication method between one wireless communication device andanother wireless communication device, comprising: displaying another-device address which is identification information of said anotherwireless communication device; notifying an own-device address which isidentification information of the wireless communication device, to saidanother wireless communication device by near field communication;receiving another other-device address updated by said another wirelesscommunication device, from said another wireless communication device,by the near field communication; and updating the other-device addressdisplayed in the displaying step, with a different value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration example of a wirelesscommunication system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of aperipheral according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a central device according to thefirst embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a device-addressaddressing process according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an example of a device address which isupdated.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a pairing-operationprocess which is performed by the peripheral and the central deviceaccording to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a configuration example of a wirelesscommunication system according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of aperipheral according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of acentral device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a device-addressupdating process according to the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described withreference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 1, a wireless communication system 1 according to afirst embodiment of the present invention is composed of a peripheral100 which is a wireless communication device, and a central device 200which is another wireless communication device different from theperipheral 100.

The peripheral 100 and the central device 200 perform wirelesscommunication with each other, based on Bluetooth (a trademark) lowenergy (hereinafter, referred to as BLE). BLE is a standard (mode) setfor low power consumption in the near field communication standardcalled Bluetooth (a trademark).

In this configuration, the peripheral 100 provides a service to thecentral device 200. The central device 200 uses the service providedfrom the peripheral 100.

The peripheral 100 and the central device 200 are portable terminalshaving a wireless communication function based on BLE, such as a tablettype personal computer, a laptop, and a timepiece.

In the present embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that theperipheral 100 is an electronic timepiece, and the central device 200 isa wireless communication terminal configured to receive a variety ofdata from the peripheral 100 and display the data on a display unit 260.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the peripheral 100 according to thepresent embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, a processor 120, arandom access memory (RAM) 130, a read only memory (ROM) 140, anoperation unit 150, a display unit 160, a time measuring unit 170, and aclock-signal generating unit 180, which are connected by bus lines BL.

The wireless communication unit 110 is composed of components such as aradio frequency (RF) circuit, a base band (BB) circuit, and a largescale integrated (LSI) circuit. The wireless communication unit 110performs wireless communication based on BLE, with the central device200 which is a different wireless communication device, by transmittingand receiving signals through an antenna 111.

The processor 120 consists of, for example, a central processing unit(CPU). The processor 120 controls the operation of the whole of theperipheral 100 by executing various programs (such as a program forimplementing a control process to be described below) stored in the ROM140.

The RAM 130 is composed of a volatile memory, and can be used as a workarea for temporarily storing data when the processor 120 performsvarious processes.

The ROM 140 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory,and retains programs and a variety of data necessary for the processor120 to control various functions.

The operation unit 150 is composed of components such as operationbuttons and a touch panel, and is an interface which a user can use toinput instructions.

The display unit 160 consists of, for example, a liquid crystal display(LCD) or an EL (electroluminescence) display, and displays imagesaccording to image data input from the processor 120.

The time measuring unit 170 is composed of a counter circuit forcounting the number of pulses of a closed state of the peripheral (owndevice) 100. Based on the number of pulses which is counted, the timemeasuring unit 170 measures time. Also, the processor 120 performs avariety of control at timings based on the number of pulses which iscounted by the time measuring unit 170.

The clock-signal generating unit 180 is composed of a crystal oscillatorconfigured to generate a reference clock, a variable phase-locked loop(PLL) configured to generate a clock signal with a desired frequencybased on the reference crank position, and so on, and generates a clocksignal for the peripheral (own device) 100. This color-difference signalhas a frequency which is controlled by changing the frequency divisionratio of the variable PLL.

Now, the functional configurations of the wireless communication unit110 and the processor 120 of the peripheral 100 will be described.

The wireless communication unit 110 includes a communication controlunit 112, a RAM 114, and a ROM 115. The communication control unit 112consists of, for example, a CPU. The communication control unit 112controls the operation of the whole of the wireless communication unit110 by executing various programs (such as a program for implementing acontrol process to be described below) stored in the ROM 115. Also, thecommunication control unit 112 functions as an own-device addressgenerating unit 113

In the following description, the identification information (deviceaddress) of the own device will be referred to as the “own-deviceaddress”, and the identification information (device address) of theother wireless communication device will be referred to as the“other-device address”. Also, whether a device is the “own device” orthe “other device” is determined from the angle of the correspondingdevice. For example, the device address of the peripheral is theown-device address from the angle of the peripheral 100; however, it isthe other-device address from the angle of the central device 200.

In the RAM 114 of the wireless communication unit 110, the own-deviceaddress is stored. In the ROM 115 of the wireless communication unit110, basic data necessary to generate the own-device address is stored.In this configuration, the own-device address which is stored in the RAM114 is appropriately updated by an own-device address updating unit 124(to be described below). Meanwhile, the basic data is stored in the ROM115 during manufacturing, and then is maintained without being updatedby a user's operation.

The own-device address generating unit 113 of the communication controlunit 112 generates the own-device address by reading the basic data outfrom the ROM 115 and encoding the basic data. The encoding of the basicdata is performed based on random numbers generated by a hash function.

The processor 120 functions as an advertisement transmitting unit 121, aconnection-request receiving unit 122, a disconnection-request receivingunit 123, and the own-device address updating unit 124.

The advertisement transmitting unit 121 transmits an advertisement tothe central device 200 through the wireless communication unit 110 andthe antenna 111. The transmission of the advertisement is performed, atregular intervals according to processing of a program, or in responseto a user's operation. Also, the advertisement is notificationinformation for notifying that the own device exist. Further, theadvertisement is information including the own-device address.

The connection-request receiving unit 122 receives a connection requestfrom the central device 200 through the antenna 111 and the wirelesscommunication unit 110, and establishes a connection with the centraldevice 200. The establishment of the connection makes data communicationwith the central device 200 possible.

The disconnection-request receiving unit 123 receives a disconnectionrequest for interrupting the connection, from the central device 200,through the antenna 111 and the wireless communication unit 110, andinterrupts the connection with the central device 200.

The own-device address updating unit 124 performs an own-device addressupdating process, thereby updating the own-device address. Theown-device address updating process will be described below.

Until now, the configuration of the peripheral 100 according to thepresent embodiment has been described. Now, the configuration of thecentral device 200 according to the present embodiment will bedescribed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the central device 200 includes a wirelesscommunication unit 210, a processor 220, a RAM 230, a ROM 240, anoperation unit 250, a display unit 260, a time measuring unit 270, and aclock-signal generating unit 280, which are connected by bus lines BL.

The wireless communication unit 210 is composed of components such as anRF circuit, a BB circuit, and an LSI circuit. The wireless communicationunit 210 performs wireless communication based on BLE, with theperipheral 100 which is another wireless communication device, throughan antenna 211. Also, for the wireless communication unit 210, theown-device address is set during manufacturing. This own-device addressis not updated by a user's operation.

The processor 220 consists of, for example, a CPU. The processor 220controls the operation of the whole of the central device 200 byexecuting various programs (such as a program for implementing a controlprocess to be described below) stored in the ROM 240.

The RAM 230 is composed of a volatile memory, and can be used as a workarea for temporarily storing data when the processor 220 performsvarious processes.

The ROM 240 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory,and retains programs and data necessary for the processor 220 to controlvarious functions.

The operation unit 250 is composed of components such as a touch panel,and is an interface for receiving user's operations.

The display unit 260 consists of, for example, an LED or an EL device,and displays images according to image data input from the processor220.

The time measuring unit 270 is composed of a counter circuit forcounting the number of pulses of a closed state of the central device(own device) 200. Based on the number of pulses which is counted, thetime measuring unit 270 measures time. Also, the processor 220 performsa variety of control at timings based on the number of pulses which iscounted by the time measuring unit 270.

The clock-signal generating unit 280 is composed of a crystal oscillatorconfigured to generate a reference clock, a variable PLL configured togenerate a clock signal with a desired frequency based on the referencecrank position, and so on, and generates a clock signal for the centraldevice (own device) 200. This color-difference signal has a frequencywhich is controlled by changing the frequency division ratio of thevariable PLL.

Now, the functional configurations of the processor 220 of the centraldevice 200 will be described. The processor 220 functions as anadvertisement receiving unit 221, a connection-request transmitting unit222, and a disconnection-request transmitting unit 223.

Based on a scan instruction, the advertisement receiving unit 221receives the advertisement from the peripheral 100 through the antenna211 and the wireless communication unit 210. As a result, the centraldevice 200 recognizes that the peripheral 100 exists. As a user'soperation for issuing the scan instruction, for example, activation ofan application for using the service of the peripheral 100 can beconsidered. Also, the scan instruction is not limited to a user'soperation, and may also be performed at regular intervals afteractivation of the application.

The connection-request transmitting unit 222 transmits a connectionrequest for requesting a connection, to the peripheral 100, through thewireless communication unit 210 and the antenna 211. After receiving theadvertisement from the peripheral 100, when a connection is required,the connection request can be transmitted. Also, the connection requestincludes the own-device address (the device address of the centraldevice 200).

When the central device is connected to the peripheral 100, in order tointerrupt the connection, the disconnection-request transmitting unit223 transmits the disconnection request to the peripheral through thewireless communication unit 210. For example, in a case where datacommunication with the connected peripheral 100 has finished, or in acase where the user has performed a disconnection operation, thedisconnection request can be transmitted.

Now, the own-device address updating process of the peripheral 100 willbe described with reference to FIG. 4. This process is mainly performedin the own-device address updating unit 124 of the processor 120. Thisprocess is performed if the other-device address (for example, thedevice address of the central device 200) is deleted from the RAM 114 ofthe wireless communication unit 110 of the peripheral 100.

First, in STEP S101, the own-device address updating unit 124 of theprocessor 120 controls the own-device address generating unit 113 of thewireless communication unit 110 such that the own-device addressgenerating unit generates the own-device address. The own-device addresscan be generated by the above described method.

Subsequently, in STEP 5102, the own-device address updating unit 124 ofthe processor 120 performs updating with the generated own-deviceaddress. In this specification, the term “updating” means an operationof rewriting some of data (that is, the device address).

Now, the device address which is updated will be described. As shown inFIG. 5, the device address is composed of six octets 0 to 5. One octetis composed of two hexadecimal digits. In the individual octets, “Ox”means that the corresponding octets are hexadecimal values. Thesehexadecimal values are random values which are set for each wirelesscommunication device (each device). Also, MSB (Most Significant Bit)represents that a corresponding bit is the most significant bit, and LSB(Least Significant Bit) represents that a corresponding bit is the leastsignificant bit.

In BLE, there are four usable address types of an RPA (resolvableprivate address) type, an NRPA (non-resolvable private address) type, arandom static type, and a public address type.

The address type of a device address is determined by the mostsignificant 2 bits of the device address. The device addresses which areused in the present embodiment are the random static type.

In the present embodiment, in the device address shown in FIG. 5, in the“◯” portion of two hexadecimal digits of the octet 5, any one value ofC, D, E, and F is used such that it is possible to identify that theaddress type of the device address is the random static type. In otherwords, in each portion shown by “X” in FIG. 5, any one of hexadecimaldigits 1 to F can b used; whereas in the portion shown by “◯”, only oneof hexadecimal digits C to F can be used.

When the device address is updated, two octets of the octet 0 and theoctet 1, and the “◯” portion of the octet 5 are rewritten. The values ofthe other portions are kept.

The value of the octet 0 is rewritten with a value representing thesecond(s) of the current time during updating, that is, one of 0x00 to0x59. The own-device address updating unit 124 reads out the valuerepresenting the second(s) of the current time from the time measuringunit 170, and two digits of the octet 0 with the read value.

The value of the octet 1 is rewritten with the count value duringupdating, that is, any one of 0x00 to 0xFF. The own-device addressupdating unit 124 reads out the count value from a low-speed time baseregister circuit of the clock-signal generating unit 180, and rewritestwo digits of the octet 1 with the read value. The count value is avalue which is counted up by an 8-bit counter (a clock having afrequency in the range between 1 Hz to 128 Hz) of the low-speed timebase register circuit.

The “◯” portion of the octet 5 is rewritten with a value based on thesecond(s) of the current time during updating. The own-device addressupdating unit 124 reads out the value representing the second(s) of thecurrent time from the time measuring unit 170, and rewrites the value ofthe “◯” portion of the octet 5 with “C” in a case where the read valueis between 1 to 14, with “D” in a case where the read value is between15 and 29, with “E” in a case where the read value is between 30 and 44,and with “F” in a case where the read value is between 45 and 59.

By the method described above, the own-device address is updated.Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, in STEP S103, the own-device addressupdating unit 124 of the processor 120 stores the updated own-deviceaddress in the RAM 130 and the RAM 114 of the wireless communicationunit 110.

Also, the own-device address updating process described above is adevice-address updating process which is performed during a normal state(in a case where the power of the wireless communication unit 110 is inan ON state). In contrast with this, during a special state (in a casewhere the power of the wireless communication unit 110 is in an OFFstate), the own-device address updating unit 124 performs adevice-address updating process different from the own-device addressupdating process during the normal state.

In the own-device address updating process which is performed during thenormal state, the wireless communication unit 110 is used to update theown-device address. In contrast with this, during the special state,since the power of the wireless communication unit 110 is in the OFFstate, in order to use the wireless communication unit 110 to update theown-device address, it is required to turn on the power of the wirelesscommunication unit 110. However, in a case of deleting the other-deviceaddress from the peripheral 100 (for example, pulling of the crown ofthe electronic timepiece), and turning on the power of the wirelesscommunication unit 110, and updating the own-device address, sinceprocessing is complicated, it is feared that a problem may occur.

For this reason, during the special state, in order to make it possibleto update the own-device address while maintaining the power of thewireless communication unit 110 in the OFF state, an own-device addressupdating process which does not use the wireless communication unit 110is used. Specifically, in the own-device address updating process whichis performed during the normal state, the process of STEP S101 using thewireless communication unit 110 to generate the own-device address isomitted. Instead of that, the own-device address updating unit 124 readsout the existing own-device address from the RAM 130, and updates theown-device address.

In the own-device address updating process during the special state, twooctets of the octet 2 and the octet 3, and the “◯” portion of the octet5 are rewritten. The values of the other portions are kept. In otherwords, the case of the special state is different from the case of thenormal state in the portions which are rewritten.

The device address rewriting method during the special state is almostthe same as that during the normal state. The value of the octet 2 isrewritten with a value representing the second(s) of the current timeduring updating, that is, one of 0x00 to 0x59. The own-device addressupdating unit 124 reads out the value representing the second(s) of thecurrent time from the time measuring unit 170, and two digits of theoctet 2 with the read value.

The value of the octet 3 is rewritten with the count value duringupdating, that is, any one of 0x00 to 0xFF. The own-device addressupdating unit 124 reads out the count value from a low-speed time baseregister circuit of the clock-signal generating unit 180, and rewritestwo digits of the octet 3 with the read value.

In the case of the special state, after the own-device address isupdated as described above, the own-device address updating unit 124 ofthe processor 120 stores the updated own-device address in the RAM 130.Also, the own-device address updating unit stores the updated own-deviceaddress even in the RAM 114 of the wireless communication unit 110 ifthe power of the wireless communication unit 110 is turned on.

Now, a pairing-operation process which is performed by the peripheral100 and the central device 200 in a case of using the own-device addressupdating process described above will be described. Thepairing-operation process is performed, for example, if the userperforms a software activation operation on the peripheral 100 or thecentral device 200. Also, it is assumed that, during start of thepairing-operation process, the peripheral 100 and the central device 200are not yet paired.

If the pairing-operation process starts, as shown in FIG. 6, first, inSTEP S201, the processor 120 of the peripheral 100 performs theown-device address updating process. This updating process is performedby the own-device address updating unit 124, and corresponds to STEPSS101 to 103 of FIG. 4 described above. However, in the case of thespecial state different from the normal state, the other updatingprocess described above is used.

Subsequently, in STEP S202, the processor 120 of the peripheral 100transmits the advertisement to the central device 200. This process isperformed by the advertisement transmitting unit 121. Also, theadvertisement includes the updated own-device address (the deviceaddress of the peripheral 100).

Then, in STEP S301, the processor 220 of the central device 200 receivesthe advertisement through the wireless communication unit 210. Theadvertisement receiving unit 221 scans cannels of a frequency band inwhich the advertisement can be transmitted, whereby the advertisement isreceived.

Subsequently, in STEP S302, the processor 220 of the central device 200transmits the connection request to the peripheral 100 through thewireless communication unit 210. This process is performed by theconnection-request transmitting unit 222. Also, the connection requestincludes the own-device address (the device address of the centraldevice 200).

Then, in STEP S203, the processor 120 of the peripheral 100 receives theconnection request through the wireless communication unit 110. Theconnection request is received by the connection-request receiving unit122. If receiving the connection request, the connection-requestreceiving unit 122 establishes a connection with the central device 200.

If a connection between the peripheral 100 and the central device 200 isestablished as described above, the peripheral 100 and the centraldevice 200 individually perform pairing in STEP S204 and STEP S303,respectively. Specifically, the processor 120 of the peripheral 100stores the other-device address (the device address of the centraldevice 200) included in the received connection request, in the RAM 114of the wireless communication unit 110 and the RAM 130. The processor220 of the central device 200 stores the other-device address (thedevice address of the peripheral 100) included in the receivedadvertisement, in the wireless communication unit 210 and the RAM 230.

If pairing finishes, between the peripheral 100 and the central device200, various communication processes using the pairing are performed(STEP S205 and STEP S304). Here, various communication processes usingthe pairing are processes which are performed by user's operations andthe like, such as data communication, interruption of the connection,and reconnection.

Interruption of the connection is performed if the peripheral 100receives the disconnection request from the central device 200. Thetransmission and reception of the disconnection request are performed bythe disconnection-request receiving unit 123 of the peripheral 100 andthe disconnection-request transmitting unit 223 of the central device200.

After interruption of the connection, reconnection is performed bytransmission and reception of the advertisement and transmission andreception of the connection request described above. However, duringreconnection, pairing and the own-device address updating process arenot required. Also, in a case where the other-device address (the deviceaddress of the central device 200) is deleted from the RAM 114 or theRAM 130 of the peripheral 100 even though any communication processusing the pairing has not been performed, STEP S205 and STEP S304described above are skipped.

In this pairing-operation process, the processor 120 of the peripheral100 regularly performs STEP S206 of determining whether the other-deviceaddress has been deleted from the RAM 114 or the RAM 130 of theperipheral 100. In a case where it is determined that the other-deviceaddress has not been deleted (“No” in STEP S206), the processor 120 ofthe peripheral 100 continues various computer programs using thepairing. Meanwhile, in a case where it is determined that theother-device address has been deleted (“Yes” in STEP S206), theprocessor 120 of the peripheral 100 returns to STEP S201, andre-performs processing such as the own-device address updating process.

Meanwhile, if the central device 200 receives the advertisement from theperipheral 100, in STEP S305, the processor 220 determines whether thereceived advertisement represents that pairing has been completed.

As described above, after the peripheral 100 deletes the other-deviceaddress (“Yes” in STEP S206), and the own-device address updatingprocess of STEP S201 is performed, if an advertisement is received, theadvertisement includes a device address different from the originaldevice address of the peripheral 100. In this case, the processor 220 ofthe central device 200 determines that the received advertisementrepresents that pairing has not been completed. Then, the processorreturns to STEP S302 in which the processor transmits the connectionrequest again. Subsequently, in STEP S303, the processor performspairing.

Also, in the flow chart of FIG. 6, that second pairing is performed withrespect to the central device 200, similarly in the first pairing.However, the second pairing can be performed with a central device (notshown) different from the central device 200. For example, in a casewhere there is a problem, for example, in updating the OS of the centraldevice 200, the user may try to pair the peripheral 100 with the centraldevice 200 again. In this case, the second pairing also is performedwith respect to the central device 200, similarly in the first pairing.Meanwhile, in a case where the user wants to pair the peripheral withanother central device (not shown), the user tries to pair theperipheral with the corresponding central device.

Also, unless the peripheral 100 deletes the other-device address (“No”in STEP S206), the own-device address updating process of STEP S201 isnot performed. For this reason, in an advertisement which is transmittedthereafter, as the device address of the peripheral 100, the sameaddress as that in the first pairing is included. In this case, theprocessor 220 of the central device 200 determines that the receivedadvertisement represents that pairing has been completed (“No” in STEPS305), and continues various computer programs using the pairing in STEPS304.

As described above, if the processor 120 deletes the other-deviceaddress from the RAM 114 or the RAM 130, the peripheral 100 updates theown-device address. Thereafter, the peripheral 100 includes the updatedown-device address in an advertisement to be transmitted to the centraldevice 200. In this case, even though not deleting the originalown-device address of the peripheral 100 from the RAM 230 and the likeof the central device 200, the peripheral 100 can perform pairing withthe central device 200, using the updated own-device address.

As described above, according to the wireless communication system 1 ofthe present embodiment, in order to beak the pairing between theperipheral 100 and the central device 200, only the operation ofdeleting the other-device address from the peripheral 100 is required.Therefore, it is possible to simplify the operation for breaking thepairing between the peripheral 100 and the central device 200, therebyimproving convenience for users.

In the own-device address updating process of the peripheral 100, thetime measured by the time measuring unit 170 and the count value of theclock-signal generating unit 180 are used. Therefore, the processor 120of the peripheral 100 can rewrite the own-device address with a valueaccording to the timing of updating.

In the own-device address updating process of the peripheral 100, thedifferent updating processes are performed based on the normal state andthe special state. Thereafter, not only in the case where the power ofthe wireless communication unit 110 is in the ON state, but also in thecase where the power of the wireless communication unit 110 is in theOFF state, the peripheral 100 can perform the updating process withoutany problem.

Second Embodiment

In the present embodiment, an example in which the peripheral updatesthe own-device address by a method different from that of the firstembodiment will be described. Hereinafter, a second embodiment of thepresent invention will be described with some drawings.

In the present embodiment, components identical to those of the firstembodiment are denoted by the same reference symbols. Also, componentsof the present embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with thecomponents of the first embodiment unless otherwise mentioned.

As shown in FIG. 7, a wireless communication system 2 according to thepresent embodiment is composed of a peripheral 400 which is a wirelesscommunication device, and a central device 500 which is another wirelesscommunication device different from the peripheral 400.

The peripheral 400 and the central device 200 perform wirelesscommunication with each other, based on BLE. The central device 500performs communication with a server 300 which manages the deviceaddress of the peripheral 400, through a network 50. The network 50 maybe a wide area network (WAN), or may be a local area network (LAN).

The peripheral 400 and the central device 500 are configured by the samesoftware as that of the peripheral 100 and the central device 200according to the first embodiment; however, they have different functionconfigurations. Hereinafter, the detailed configurations of theperipheral 400 and the central device 500 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, the peripheral 400 includes a wireless communicationunit 410 and a processor 420, in place of the wireless communicationunit 110 and the processor 120 of the peripheral 100 according to thefirst embodiment.

The wireless communication unit 410 is composed of components such as anRF circuit, a BB circuit, and an LSI circuit. The wireless communicationunit 410 performs wireless communication based on BLE, with the centraldevice 500 which is a different wireless communication device, bytransmitting and receiving signals through the antenna 111.

The processor 420 consists of, for example, a CPU. The processor 420controls the operation of the whole of the peripheral 400 by executingvarious programs (such as a program for implementing a control processto be described below) stored in the ROM 140.

Now, the functional configurations of the wireless communication unit410 and the processor 420 of the peripheral 400 will be described.

The wireless communication unit 410 includes a communication controlunit 412, a RAM 414, and a ROM 415. The communication control unit 412consists of, for example, a CPU. The communication control unit 412controls the operation of the whole of the wireless communication unit410 by executing various programs (such as a program for implementing acontrol process to be described below) stored in the ROM 415. However,the communication control unit 412 does not include the own-deviceaddress generating unit 113 unlike the communication control unit 112 ofthe peripheral 100 according to the first embodiment.

In the RAM 414 of the wireless communication unit 410, the own-deviceaddress is stored. In the ROM 415 of the wireless communication unit410, the initial value of the own-device address is stored.

In this configuration, the own-device address which is stored in the RAM414 is appropriately updated by an own-device address updating unit 424(to be described below). Meanwhile, the initial value of the own-deviceaddress is stored in the ROM 415 during manufacturing, and then ismaintained without being updated by a user's operation.

Also, in the present embodiment, similarly in the first embodiment, itis assumed that the random static type is used as the address type ofdevice addresses. Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that0xD1D1D1D1D1D1 has been set as the initial value of the own-deviceaddress. However, the initial value of the own-device address may be anyone of values “0xC00000000000” to “0xFFFFFFFFFFFF”.

The processor 420 functions as the advertisement transmitting unit 121,the connection-request receiving unit 122, the disconnection-requestreceiving unit 123, and the own-device address updating unit 424.

The own-device address updating unit 424 updates the own-device addressin a manner different from that of the own-device address updating unit124 according to the first embodiment, by performing an own-deviceaddress updating process. This own-device address updating process willbe described below.

Until now, the configuration of the peripheral 400 according to thepresent embodiment has been described. Now, the configuration of thecentral device 500 according to the present embodiment will bedescribed.

As shown in FIG. 9, the central device 500 includes a wirelesscommunication unit 510, a processor 520, and a RAM 530, in place of thewireless communication unit 210, the processor 220, and the RAM 230 ofthe central device 200 according to the first embodiment.

The wireless communication unit 510 is composed of components such as anRF circuit, a BB circuit, and an LSI circuit. The wireless communicationunit 510 performs wireless communication based on BLE, with theperipheral 400 which is another wireless communication device, throughan antenna 211.

Also, the wireless communication unit 510 performs wirelesscommunication with any other device such as a relay device or an accesspoint, through the antenna 211. The wireless communication unit 510 isconnected to the network 50 through a relay device, an access point, orthe like, thereby performing communication with the server 300. Also,for the wireless communication unit 510, the own-device address is setduring manufacturing. This own-device address is not updated by a user'soperation.

The processor 520 consists of, for example, a CPU. The processor 520controls the operation of the whole of the central device 500 byexecuting various programs (such as a program for implementing a controlprocess to be described below) stored in the ROM 240.

The RAM 530 is composed of a volatile memory, and can be used as a workarea for temporarily storing data when the processor 520 performsvarious processes. However, the RAM 530 is different from the RAM 230 inthat the initial value of the device address of the peripheral 400 isstored therein.

The initial value of the device address is stored during manufacturingor shipping of the central device 500, in advance, such that in a casewhere the central device 500 receives an advertisement from the otherdevice, and the received advertisement includes the corresponding deviceaddress, the central device can recognize the corresponding deviceaddress as the initial value of the device address. In other words, inthe RAM 530 of the central device 500, the initial value of the deviceaddress of the peripheral 400 is retained from when the central devicehas not been paired with the peripheral 400 yet.

Now, the functional configurations of the processor 520 of the centraldevice 500 will be described. The processor 520 functions as theadvertisement receiving unit 221, the connection-request transmittingunit 222, and the disconnection-request transmitting unit 223, like theprocessor 220 according to the first embodiment, and also functions as adevice-address acquiring unit 525.

The device-address acquiring unit 525 controls the wirelesscommunication unit 510 such that the wireless communication unitreceives a device address from the server 300, thereby acquiring thedevice address from the server 300.

Now, the own-device address updating process of the peripheral 400 willbe described with reference to FIG. 10. This process is performed bycooperation of the own-device address updating unit 424 of the processor420, the central device 500, and the server 300. This process isperformed if the other-device address (for example, the device addressof the central device 500) is deleted from the RAM 414 of the wirelesscommunication unit 410 of the peripheral 400.

First, in STEP 5401, the own-device address updating unit 424 of theprocessor 420 updates the own-device address stored in the RAM 414, byinitializing the own-device address to the initial value(0xD1D1D1D1D1D1) of the own-device address stored in the ROM 415.

Subsequently, in STEP 5402, the processor 420 of the peripheral 400transmits the advertisement to the central device 500. This process isperformed by the advertisement transmitting unit 121. Also, theadvertisement includes the initialized own-device address (the deviceaddress of the peripheral 400).

Then, in STEP S501, the processor 520 of the central device 500 receivesthe advertisement through the wireless communication unit 510. Theadvertisement receiving unit 221 scans cannels of a frequency band inwhich the advertisement can be transmitted, whereby the advertisement isreceived.

Subsequently, in STEP S502, the processor 520 of the central device 500determines whether the received other-device address (the device addressof the peripheral 400) is the initial value. This determination isperformed based on whether the received other-device address is the sameas the initial value of the device address stored in the RAM 530.

In a case of determining that the received other-device address is notthe initial value (“No” in STEP S502), the processor 520 of the centraldevice 500 skips the subsequent processes (STEPS S503 and S504), andfinishes the device-address updating process.

Meanwhile, in a case of determining that the received other-deviceaddress is the initial value (“Yes” in STEP S502), the device-addressacquiring unit 525 of the processor 520 of the central device 500requests the server 300 to transmit an unused device address.Thereafter, in STEP S503, the device-address acquiring unit 525 of theprocessor 520 of the central device 500 controls the wirelesscommunication unit 510 such that the wireless communication unitreceives an unused device address from the server 300, thereby acquiringthe unused device address.

If the device-address acquiring unit 525 acquires the unused deviceaddress, in STEP S504, the processor 520 of the central device 500controls the wireless communication unit 510 such that the wirelesscommunication unit transmits the acquired device address to theperipheral 400.

Then, in STEP S403, the processor 420 of the peripheral 400 controls thewireless communication unit 410 such that the wireless communicationunit receives the unused device address from the central device 500.

After a connection between the peripheral 400 and the central device 500for communication is established, in STEP S404, the own-device addressupdating unit 424 of the processor 420 of the peripheral 400 updates theown-device address having the initial value, with the unused own-deviceaddress received from the central device 500. Subsequently, in STEPS405, the own-device address updating unit stores the updated own-deviceaddress in the RAM 130 and the RAM 414 of the wireless communicationunit 410. The connection between the peripheral 400 and the centraldevice 500 for communication is established by transmitting a connectionrequest from the central device 500 to the peripheral 400 after thereception of the advertisement in STEP S501 before STEP S504.

Until now, the own-device address updating process of the peripheral 400has been described. The pairing-operation process of the peripheral 400and the central device 500 can be the same as that of the firstembodiment, and a detailed description thereof will not be made.Hereinafter, the advantages of the present embodiment as compared to thefirst embodiment will be described.

In the above described first embodiment, the number of values which canbe taken as the own-device address which is generated by the peripheral100 is about 274×10¹¹. Since the own-device address is generated inrandom from those many values, the possibility that a duplicate of thevalue of the own-device address could exist is very low. However, in thestrict sense, the possibility that a duplicate of the value of theown-device address could exist is not zero.

The possibility that a duplicate of the value of the own-device addresscould exist is, for example, the possibility that the value of theupdated own-device address could be the same as an own-device addresswhich has already been used before the updating, or the possibility thatthe value of the updated own-device address could be same as anown-device address which has already been used in any other peripheral(not shown) before the updating.

In contrast with this, according to the present embodiment, since eachdevice address which is assigned to the peripheral 400 by the server300, it is possible to prevent the possibility that a duplicate of thevalue of the own-device address which is used for updating in theperipheral 400 could exist.

As an example for preventing a duplicate of the value of the own-deviceaddress, for example, the server 300 may be configured to generatedevice addresses whose values increase or decease in the order in whichthey are issued.

In a case of generating device addresses whose values increase in theorder in which they are issued, those values may be, for example,0xC00000000000, 0xC00000000001, 0xC00000000002, and the like.

In a case of generating device addresses whose values decrease in theorder in which they are issued, those values may be, for example,0xFFFFFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFFFFFE, 0xFFFFFFFFFFFD, and the like. However, adevice address which is first issued is not limited to those examples,and issuing may start with any other value. Also, the server 300 needsto be configured so as not to use the initial value of the deviceaddress when generating a new device address.

The server 300 may be configured to transmit the device addressgenerated as described above, to the central device 500, using theown-device address assigned to the peripheral 400. In this case, sinceused device addresses which have already been issued cannot be used,there is no possibility that a duplicate of the own-device address couldexist. Also, whenever a device address is issued, the number of useddevice addresses increases; however, it is difficult to use all of ahuge number of addresses from 0xC00000000000 to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFF.

As another example for preventing a duplicate of the value of theown-device address, for example, the server 300 may be configured todetermine whether a device address to be newly issued is the same as oneof used device addresses issued in the past, and transmit the deviceaddress, as the own-device address assigned to the peripheral 400, tothe central device 500, if the device address is not the same as any ofthe used device addresses. Even in this case, similarly in the abovedescribed example, there is no possibility that a duplicate of theown-device address could exist. Also, the configuration of the server300 can be appropriately modified as long as it is possible to prevent aduplicate of the own-device address.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the above describedembodiments (the first embodiment and the second embodiment) are justexamples. Therefore, the detailed configurations of the peripherals 100and 400, the central devices 200 and 500, and the server 300, thecontents of processing thereof, and the like are not limited to thosedescribed in the embodiments. Hereinafter, modifications of the abovedescribed embodiments will be described.

(Modifications)

In the first embodiment, the processor 120 of the peripheral 100performs the own-device address updating process using the time measuredby the time measuring unit 170 and the count value of the clock-signalgenerating unit 180. However, a method of generating a random value forrewriting the own-device address is not limited to that method.

For example, it is possible to provide a function of generating a randomnumber, to the processor 120 of the peripheral 100, and rewrite theown-device address based on the random number. In this case, as comparedto a case of using values based on the timing of updating (a measuredtime and a count value) like in the above described embodiments, it ispossible to increase the randomness of values for rewriting theown-device address.

Also, rewrite portions of the own-device address are not limited to theportions described in the embodiments, such as the octet 0, the octet 1,and the octet 5, or the octet 2, the octet 3, and the octet 5. Rewriteportions (such as digit or bit positions) of the own-device address canbe appropriately modified.

In the first embodiment, in the own-device address updating process, thevalue of the “◯” portion of the octet 5 is rewritten w with “C” in therange between 1 second to 14 seconds, with “D” in the range between 15seconds and 29 seconds, with “E” in the range between 30 seconds and 44seconds, and with “F” in the range between 45 seconds and 59 seconds.However, rewriting of the “◯” portion of the octet 5 is not limited tothat rule. It is also possible to arbitrarily divide the range forseconds into four sections associated with the values “C” to “F”.

Also, in the first embodiment, in the own-device address updatingprocess, the own-device address is rewritten based on the second(s) ofthe measured time. However, the own-device address may be rewrittenbased on the minute(s) of the measured time. As long as the own-deviceaddress may be rewritten based on any other random value which isgenerated at the timing of updating as described above, any other methodof generating a random value can be used.

In the above described embodiments (the first embodiment and the secondembodiment), as the address type of the device address, the randomstatic type is used. However, any other address type can be used.

In the first embodiment, data such as the own-device address and theother-device address is stored in the RAM 114 or the RAM 130 of theperipheral 100, and is stored in the wireless communication unit 210 orthe RAM 230 of the central device 200. However, for example, the datasuch as the own-device address and the other-device address may bestored in the ROMs 115, 140, and 240. In other words, the storagedestinations of the data such as the own-device address and theother-device address needs only to be storage units such as ROMs andRAMs. This modification is possible even in the second embodiment.

In the first embodiment, each of the processor 120 and the wirelesscommunication unit 110 of the peripheral 100 is composed of a CPU.However, in the configuration of the peripheral 100, the communicationcontrol unit 112 may be configured as a component of the processor 120,not as a component of the wireless communication unit 110, in one CPUconstituting the processor. Also, in the configuration of the peripheral100, the RAM 114 and the ROM 115 of the wireless communication unit 110may be omitted. In this case, the RAM 130 and the ROM 140 may beconfigured to act in place of the RAM 114 and the ROM 115. Thismodification is possible even in the second embodiment.

The processor 120 of the peripheral 100 may be configured to control thedisplay unit 160 such that the display displays the own-device address,and the processor 220 of the central device 200 may be configured tocontrol the display unit 260 such that the display displays theother-device address. In this case, the user can see the device addresswhich is updated by the own-device address updating process of theperipheral 100 on the display unit 160 of the peripheral 100 or thedisplay unit 260 of the central device 200. This modification ispossible even in the second embodiment.

The first embodiment has a configuration based on the case where theperipheral 100 cannot store only the device address of one centraldevice 200. In a case where the peripheral 100 can store the deviceaddresses of a plurality of central devices 200 (that is, the peripheralcan be paired with a plurality of central devices 200), the own-deviceaddress updating process may be performed when all device addresses forwhich pairing has been completed are deleted from the storage units (theRAM and the ROM) of the peripheral 100.

In this case, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that, when thedevice address of only one of the plurality of central devices 200 forwhich pairing has been completed is deleted, the own-device address ofthe peripheral 100 could be updated, whereby it could be impossible forthe peripheral to be connected to the central devices 200 of theremaining device addresses. This modification is possible even in thesecond embodiment.

In the above described embodiments (the first embodiment and the secondembodiment), the central device 200 or 500 may be configured to deletethe other-device address (the device address of the paired peripheral100 or 400 for which pairing has been completed) from the RAM 230 or 530in a case where there is no record on connection for a long period (forexample, 3 years).

In this case, it is possible to suppress the device address of theperipheral 100 or 400 for which pairing has completed from remaining inthe RAM 230 or 530 of the central device 200 or 500 even after thepairing of the peripheral 100 or 400 with the central device 200 or 500is broken.

Also, the central device 500 of the second embodiment may be configuredto delete the other-device address from the RAM in a case where there isno record on connection with respect to the other-device address, andnotify the server 300 that the other-device address has been deleted. Inthis case, it is possible to reduce the problem that the number of useddevice addresses in the server 300 increases.

In the first embodiment, the device address is notified as a portion ofthe advertisement or the connection request between the peripheral 100and the central device 200. However, the device address may be notifiedin other ways. This modification is possible even in the secondembodiment.

In the above described embodiments (the first embodiment and the secondembodiment), the peripheral 100 or 400 is configured to perform theown-device address updating process or the device-address updatingprocess in a case where the other-device address (the device address ofthe central device 200 or 500 for which pairing has been completed) fromthe RAM 114 or 414 or the RAM 130.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, twomodifications can be considered. As the first modification, theperipheral 100 or 400 may be configured to perform the own-deviceaddress updating process or the device-address updating process in acase of receiving an instruction (a user's operation) for changing thearea of the RAM 114 or 414 or the RAM 130 retaining the other-deviceaddress. However, in this case, the RAM 114 or 414 or the RAM 130 needsto be configured such that an area for other-device addresses for whichpairing has been completed is different from an area for other-deviceaddresses for which pairing has been not completed.

Also, as the second modification, the peripheral 100 or 400 may beconfigured to perform the own-device address updating process or thedevice-address updating process in a case of receiving an instructionfor updating the other-device address stored in the RAM 114 or 414 orthe RAM 130 with a value representing that the other-device address hasbeen excluded from connection destinations. The value representing thatthe other-device address has been excluded from connection destinationsis a predetermined value. In this case, the peripheral 100 or 400 needsto be configured to be able to recognize that the other-device addresshaving the value representing that the other-device address has beenexcluded from connection destinations, as an other-device address forwhich pairing has not been completed.

As can be seen from the two modifications described above, theperipheral 100 or 400 may be configured such that, in a case where theperipheral 100 or 400 receives an instruction for excluding theother-device address stored in the RAM 114 or 414 or the RAM 130 (auser's operation for breaking the pairing), the own-device addressupdating process or the device-address updating process is performed.

In the above described embodiments (the first embodiment and the secondembodiment), the peripheral 100 or 400 and the central device 200 or 500for performing wireless communication with each other based on BLE hasbeen described as examples of wireless communication devices. However,the present invention is not limited to wireless communication devicesconfigured to perform wireless communication based on BLE. For example,the present invention can be applied to wireless communication devicesconfigured to perform wireless communication based on other standardssuch as Wi-Fi (a trademark) or ZigBee (a trademark).

Also, the peripherals 100 and 400 and the central devices 200 and 500according to the present invention are not limited to the abovedescribed devices. For example, computers can implement the functions ofthe peripherals 100 and 400 and the functions of the central devices 200and 500 by executing programs. The programs for implementing thefunctions of the peripherals 100 and 400 and the functions of thecentral devices 200 and 500 may be stored in computer-readable recordingmedia such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a CD-ROM(Compact-Disc Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and anHDD (Hard Disc Drive), and may be downloaded to computers through anetwork.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed, the present invention is not limited to the related specificembodiments, and includes the inventions disclosed in claims and theirequivalents. Hereinafter, the inventions disclosed in the originalclaims of this application will be appended.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless communication device comprising: awireless communication unit that performs near field communication withanother wireless communication device; a storage unit that stores another-device address which is identification information of said anotherwireless communication device and which is acquired through the wirelesscommunication unit; and a processor that updates an own-device addresswhich is identification information of the wireless communicationdevice, when receiving an instruction for excluding the other-deviceaddress from a connection destination of the near field communication.2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein: theinstruction for excluding the other-device address from the connectiondestination is an instruction for deleting the other-device address fromthe storage unit.
 3. The wireless communication device according toclaim 1, wherein: the instruction for excluding the other-device addressfrom the connection destination is an instruction for changing anstorage area of the storage unit retaining the other-device address. 4.The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein: theinstruction for excluding the other-device address from the connectiondestination is an instruction for updating the other-device addressstored in the storage unit, with a value representing that theother-device address is excluded from the connection destination.
 5. Thewireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein: whenreceiving the instruction for excluding the other-device address fromthe connection destination, the processor updates the own-device addressto an initial value, and updates the updated own-device address withidentification information represented by a reception signal received bythe wireless communication unit.
 6. The wireless communication deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein: the processor updates the own-deviceaddress based on a random number.
 7. The wireless communication deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein: the processor updates the own-deviceaddress with a value based on a timing of updating.
 8. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 7, further comprising: a timemeasuring unit that measures time, wherein the processor updates theown-device address with a value based on the timing of updating, byusing a time measured by the time measuring unit.
 9. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 1, wherein: when the processorupdates the own-device address, the processor changes a differentportion of the own-device address based on whether a power of thecommunication unit is in an ON state or an OFF state.
 10. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 2, wherein: when the processorupdates the own-device address, the processor changes a differentportion of the own-device address based on whether a power of thecommunication unit is in an ON state or an OFF state.
 11. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 3, wherein: when the processorupdates the own-device address, the processor changes a differentportion of the own-device address based on whether a power of thecommunication unit is in an ON state or an OFF state.
 12. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 4, wherein: when the processorupdates the own-device address, the processor changes a differentportion of the own-device address based on whether a power of thecommunication unit is in an ON state or an OFF state.
 13. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 6, wherein: when the processorupdates the own-device address, the processor changes a differentportion of the own-device address based on whether a power of thecommunication unit is in an ON state or an OFF state.
 14. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 7, wherein: when the processorupdates the own-device address, the processor changes a differentportion of the own-device address based on whether a power of thecommunication unit is in an ON state or an OFF state.
 15. The wirelesscommunication device according to claim 1, further comprising: a displayunit that displays the own-device address, wherein the own-deviceaddress displayed on the display unit is updated with a different valueby the processor.
 16. An electronic timepiece comprising the wirelesscommunication device according to claim
 1. 17. The electronic timepieceaccording to claim 16, wherein: the other wireless communication deviceis a wireless communication terminal; and the wireless communicationunit performs the near field communication with the wirelesscommunication terminal.
 18. A wireless communication method between onewireless communication device and another wireless communication device,comprising: storing an other-device address which is identificationinformation of said another wireless communication device acquired bynear field communication; and updating an own-device address which isidentification information of the wireless communication device, whenreceiving an instruction for excluding the other-device address storedin the storing step, from a connection destination of the near fieldcommunication.
 19. A wireless communication method between one wirelesscommunication device and another wireless communication device,comprising: displaying an other-device address which is identificationinformation of said another wireless communication device; notifying anown-device address which is identification information of the wirelesscommunication device, to said another wireless communication device bynear field communication; receiving another other-device address updatedby said another wireless communication device, from said anotherwireless communication device, by the near field communication; andupdating the other-device address displayed in the displaying step, witha different value.
 20. The wireless communication method according toclaim 19, further comprising: acquiring identification information froma server by performing communication with the server, in a case wherethe other-device address received in the receiving step is an initialvalue; and transmitting a signal for updating the other-device addresswith the identification information acquired in the acquiring step, tosaid another wireless communication device.